Unstoppable Power, Unmanagable Pain

ending pt. 1

Kusuo got up out of bed and felt average.
Average...
Just like before, huh?

He carried himself to school after eating a coffee jelly for breakfast.
The sweet taste started melting in his mouth; the overwhelming sweetness now being overpowered by a tastier bitter.

He slid open the door to his classroom and looked around for Teruhashi. He was worried about yesterday and if it would make their class time awkward.

A beat went by before he saw her; she wasn't glowing a golden sparkly color anymore, but rather, a faded and almost unnoticeable blue. She looked calmer and more approachable, for sure.

"Teruhashi" Saiki walked up to her desk.

"Saiki? I almost never see you walk up here." She looked up at him like there was something he had on her that could ruin her, and with eyes full of fear, she made a weak smile. "Are you... finally okay with walking up to me first? Now, there are two reasons why you would feel this way. One, because you aren't nervous anymore after hugging me and having seen my vulnerable side, or two, because you don't think I'm a bad person anymore since I wasn't acting yesterday. I know you could see through my facade. " She said with a strange coldness in her voice.

'Oh... yare yare.' He sighed, 'of course I can see through it. But it's not because I'm your soulmate or anything.' He looked around before pulling her into the hallway. Avoiding the Kokomins easier than expected.

"Hey! Hey!! If you're not my soulmate, then just STOP. I don't want you to pull me around anymore!" She pulled back and yelled with a voice so hasty that no one thought it would ever be hers.

They ignored it.

"Teruhashi." He looked her in the eyes sternly, and let go of her hand. "Let me show you something, please. I'm not acting anymore either, okay?" His voice was rarely spoken in a soft tone, so she pursed her lips and sighed in agreement.

"Where... where the hell are we? Saiki... what did you do this time!?" She whipped her head around, her hair flowing from the beach winds.

'This is...' he paused and looked around 'the island we got stranded on from Saiko's boat.'

"How did you manage to take me here?" She stood in awe at the island until realization hit her like a ball. "did you do that to us?"

'I was the one who brought the food, teleported parts of the island, and made the raft float.'

"But we all worked on that raft together! Especially Nen...oh." Saiki chuckled when she said that. "So you're a psychic or something?"

He nodded.

....

"Now, Kusuo Saiki, would you like to introduce yourself?"

Kusuo looked at the ground and muttered to himself sarcastically, being more nervous than he would let anyone believe.

"My name is Kusuo Saiki. I've been here one day, and I am 16 years old. I have been cutting for..." he looked around at the unmoving and focused room; he didn't want them to be looking at him. He glanced at Teruhashi and saw her cover her eyes with her hands.
He looked down to his hands and continued to speak "for... I'm not exactly sure how long." Saiki stuttered.

A small tongue click could be heard, and he darted his eyes to find the sound.

It was Saiko, lifting up his hands to cover his eyes.
He looked around, and everyone else followed.

"I could've... done that myself, you know. I could've closed my eyes" He gave a small laugh and continued, "I think it started when... jeez... I found a blade and cut myself by accident. It became addictive since..." Kusuo caught eyes with one of the random girls, she was peeking. He decided to close his own eyes.

"Shit.. I got addicted to cutting myself with a rock" he recalled to himself.

Kusuo opened his eyes and looked around the room and found everyone sitting quietly; a few had their eyes on him. The room was a very mixed atmosphere with people covering their eyes, people giving accepting looks, and others giving expecting glares. He swallowed, hard. He felt the weight of the room start to fall down on him with what he had just said.

It was too much, wasn't it? Is he even allowed to curse...? God, why should he care! He's never circulated around his actions so much before; it's so strange that now he... cares. And so much.

It really must depend on the topic. He nods at his own idea and decides to continue talking.

"....."

Silence. That's all he can think about. The words swivel in his head say something...! Yare yare, why can't I think! I can't end it on that note. Do I thank them?

He feels a sweat drop bead down his chest; why was it so hot? Not to mention, it's getting hard.. to breathe...

His breathing pattern slams the gas peddle. He swings down his eyes that were locked on someone else and tries to swallow his breath in order to calm down.

Why the hell am I suddenly like this? Why am I so--

"Kusuo, you can sit down. That was inappropriate enough" the woman says, scribbling something that was most likely about him.

He takes a seat and Teruhashi looks at him and passes her head the other direction. He took his ring off to listen to her thoughts.

What do I say to him? How can I make him feel better ...? What would the perfect, pretty girl say?

'Teruhashi'

What!? Saiki?

'What would YOU say?'

Huh..? What do you mean?

'Screw being perfect. What do you want to tell me?'

The woman droned on about how profanity wasn't accepted in the circle. It gave Saiki a sour taste in his mouth.

Teruhashi sat with her lip between her teeth, stumped. She fiddled with her fingers and settled on what she wanted to say.

Oh. Saiki felt his stomach drop.

“I think Sai...Kusuo was describing his trauma perfectly.” she started at a meek tone until she found confidence, raising her volume “you're kind of being a shit head for not supporting him, huh?”

‘Teru...Kokomi..?’

“Saiki's a strong, independent fucking person. He doesn't need people to tell him how to fucking act right now. He needs someone to support him. What kind of Goddamn therapist scolds someone for opening up?”

He'd never seen her truly lash out like this, and he'd never felt so honestly and wholesomely protected. He used to think of her as the enemy.

“Kusuo...” she rests her glance, fixated entirely on him. “I'm so sorry for pushing myself on you. I was insecure and needy for attention when I don't realize it...”

“Can we start over? I want to be your best friend this time.”